Sunday, September 07, 2008

Jack Straw Fizzes Over New Data Loss Scandal

It must be easier to count the government databases which haven't been lost, rather than those that have. With the news that details of prison staff records have been lost, you have to ask why it took senior officials in the prison service two months to tell Justice Secretary Jack Straw. To his credit he made the news public immediately. He should make an example of those who kept the information from him, and fire them.

Is there seriously anyone now who trusts the Government to securely hold the data stored on ID Cards?

It won’t stop will it? In all sectors! The security of our personal data isn’t being taken seriously enough by many who have access to it!I was reading this about doctors carrying around unencrypted pen drives with confidential patient information on them, only five out of 79 were password protected! Will some people never learn?

The problem we have is that, we all need computers but how many of us really want to look into the security side of looking after our magic boxes & the data on them?We all know don’t we! That you should have a descent antivirus & firewall on your computer, to have at least two well known anti-spyware scanners, a couple of other programmes that put kill bits in your registry to stop bots installing stuff, a programme to clear browser history, etc & not forgetting another programme to watch your start ups as minimum protection for your computer, because like buying a house that contains all your valuables, you learn the best ways to look after it don’t you?What! You haven’t looked into door locks, safes & alarms to protect your house?

As computers start to totally dominate our lives we ALL should really understand the many ways our valuable data can be got to, but will we? I don’t think so!Instead we have delusions that our personal data that is held on various servers or on somebody’s pen drive is being protected by some clued up security geek who has installed a maxed out security policy that the personnel of every company we deal with uses religiously, like I said! A delusion!

No one trusts them, but you see, they don't care. They are a bit like the Chinese communist party, they have total contempt of democracy. Not surprising really when you look at their dubious political backgrounds. It is sometimes a pity the British do not take to the streets, as there are a lot of handy lampposts around whitehall that could do with adornments

Actually, I think this is all a ploy to streangthen the case for ID cards: with so much data out there in the public domain, who'd give a flying fuck about securing personal data that is no doubt already in the hands of terrorists and organised crime.

I had to watch Andy Marr making mice meat, sorry mince meat, out of Ed Balls again.

I just love this, Andy Marr, you were so brilliant.

From BBC transcript:

ED BALLS: the Prime Minister is doing well in a really...

ANDREW MARR: That's not what the polls say, that's not what the country thinks.

ED BALLS: ...in a really... Well in a really, really difficult time...

ANDREW MARR: No-one has been behind like this and come back and won.

ED BALLS: And they...

ANDREW MARR: Nobody has been in this position and won.

ED BALLS: And they stuck to their nerve and they stuck to the long-term and they came back and they won. And

ANDREW MARR: Okay, so whack... whack David Cameron, but as far as your party's concerned, steady as she sinks.

ED BALLS: Set... Look, it is not steady as she sinks because, as I said, I believe we can go on and win this election if we have determination and steel and unity. The thing which in the past has lost governments elections is if they mis-managed the economy, divided internally as a party and lost touch with the long-term aspirations...

ANDREW MARR: Well all of those things people would say is your condition at the moment.

ED BALLS: Well and I think that is wrong and that is why we as a party...

ANDREW MARR: Alright.

ED BALLS: ...have got to work... No, but it's really important.

ANDREW MARR: Okay.

ED BALLS: We have to go out and make... On the economy, we are the best people to manage us through this time.

I agree with Unsworth - the timing of this is peculiar to say the least - perhaps silence Straw for the conference horse trading season.

That said, yeah sure fire someone but the greatest issue is harm minimization - if I were a prison officer I'd be bricking it. I'm sure there are some sophisticated crime syndicates that could make much use of this info.